Have you ever stopped to think about how there are certain people in your life who seemingly magically appear in your life at just the right time? Or, that circumstances have worked out when it seemed impossible for them to do so?
The word coincidence is often applied to help us understand or accept people or situations in our lives which can cannot readily explain or justify. I’m fine with this, although I think there is more to this happening than we give credit.
An example of someone who reappeared in my life when I needed them to is my editor Kathleen Veth. We had met via a business meeting about five years ago. The the circumstances of us meeting had nothing to do with her background of being an editor, although at that time I learned she had an editing background.
When I was approaching the final stories for my book, I began to consider who I could work with to help me edit my work. As soon as I did this, I started receiving email promotions from Kathleen about her other business venture. This prompted me to reach out to her to learn more about it. When we met, and spoke about her current venture, I asked her if she was still doing editing work. She told me she had not done this type of work for a number of years, but noted she really liked doing this type of work. So, was it a coincidence I started receiving emails from her at the time I needed to begin looking for an editor? I don’t think so.
If you take the time to look back on the people and circumstances which have happened in your life, were all of these instances planned meetings or explainable from a logical perspective of how they occurred? For example, have you ever been job hunting and just when you are about to give up your search for the day, you receive a call or email from a recruiter who wants to talk to you?
Perhaps you have thought about how you would like to go do something interesting, and then a few minutes later you receive a text from a friend asking you if you want to go to a museum with them to see a new exhibit which is on display? Another example would be getting an email from your neighbor who is cleaning out their closets, and asks you if you would like to have any of the items they were going to donate. The coincidence in this situation is that you were thinking about how you could not afford to go shopping for new clothes right now.
A final example would be having your neighbor who is a cardiac nurse just happen to be home at the time you are having a heart attack in your front yard. She also happened to be in her yard, saw you go down, and she came over to begin CPR and be the first in a chain of events to save your life. This actually happened to a family member of mine, and I firmly believe it was not a coincidence this happened.
So, do our minds help to present coincidences, or do they happen independently from what we are thinking about? When I think about all of the unexplainable circumstances I have applied the word coincidence to, I am amazed at how often they happen, and I am glad they do.
Having coincidences happen makes life really interesting, and I am fascinated by when they occur. I have never spoken to anyone about their thoughts about whether they think there is something mysterious about coincidences occurring, but I think it would be a fun conversation to have with others at some point, perhaps tonight? Why not, as I’m sure it will prompt me to give more ideas about other topics to write about, and potentially some additional insight into why coincidences happen and how other people perceive this word.
Kathleen E. R. Murphy is the Founder, Chief Performance Strategist and CEO of Market Me Too. She is a Gallup Certified Strengths Finder Coach, author of Wisdom Whisperer, and is a well-respected motivational and social influencer with a global following from her numerous speaking, print, radio and television media appearances.
Essentially every team is dysfunctional in some way. Our expertise is in uniting, motivating and bridging dysfunctional teams (sports & business), and turning them into epic ones.
Market Me Too also works with individuals from students to C-level executives. The individuals, business and sports teams we work with are coached on how to leverage and apply their peak performance talents on a daily basis. Our coaching produces repeatable, measurable and amazing results personally and professionally. Need proof? Just talk to our clients, or read through our testimonials.
If you want better and different results, let’s talk. We know how to help you get them. Contact Kathleen at kathymurphy@me.com or (339) 987-0195.
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